The oldest of friends
by Into The Vortex
Summary: The Doctor is devastated after the Ponds are snatched away from him, he needs the comfort of an old friend. Set after the angels take Manhattan but before the snowmen.


**Hello lovely readers!**

**This one-shot is set after the Doctor loses Amy and Rory but before he meets Clara. It is the year before The Face of Boe meets the 10th Doctor and Martha.**

**I know I should focus on my other story but I always wanted to write something like this and when I discovered there was practically nothing with The Face of Boe and the Doctor after he knew it was Jack. **

**Please review!**

* * *

The Doctor straightened his bow tie, put on his brave face, and stepped out of the TARDIS. He licked his finger and stuck it in the air.

"Looks like the year 5,000,000,052" He said to no-one in particular he glanced round "Oh! It's New New York!" He exclaimed "You wouldn't believe the stuff I've done here Ponds-" He trailed off sadly looking back realising there was no one here to share his excitement with. He sniffed, and strode down the corridor holding his head high.

As he turned the corner he doubled back in shock. Right in front of him was Novice Hame and "The Face of Boe!" The Doctor cried excitedly, at this Novice Hame turned round and quickly eyed up the Doctor.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She hissed at the Doctor who had held his hands up in surrender. Before he could start a whole rambling speech on who he was and why he was here he was interrupted by the chuckle of the Face of Boe filling his head, "_Leave us"_ the Face of Boe told Hame. She nodded and walked out giving the Doctor a suspicious glare.

"Hello Jack" The Doctor said solemnly once she had left the room, The Face of Boe chuckled once more "_You figured it out then?" _The Doctor walked towards him and dropped down to the floor crossing his legs and grinned sheepishly "When I dropped you back on earth after the year that never was," He sighed and dropped his head "I was a different man back then" After a pause he looked up "But that doesn't matter anymore" he said as he gave a small grin _"Where you OK in the end?" _The Face of Boe asked "It doesn't matter-" he started to reply, but he was cut off _"Doctor"_ Jack was always stubborn the Doctor thought to himself before dropping his head again and giving it a small shake "It's like when you wake up from dying Jack, except" He paused "Except you're not you anymore. I've been replaced, a brand new me with a dead man's memories" He trailed off and glanced up his eyes shone with tears. "And I keep losing them Jack, I lose all of them, they leave, or they…" but he did not finish the sentence before the tears escaped.

He placed his hand on the glass of The Face of Boe's tank "They're gone Jack" He whispered, body heaving with sobs "There was nothing I could do, but it was all my fault"

_"Tell me about them, tell me their story" _was Jack's reply; and the Doctor told him, told him about the amazing Amelia Pond. How she was fierce and brave, but always caring. He also told him about sweet, wonderful, nervous Rory Williams and how he became just as brave and compassionate as any of his other companions although he was sort of forced into coming with them. "The girl who waited and the Last Centurion, what a pair" the Doctor finished off with the echo of a smile.

_"Hang on, did you say the Last Centurion?" _the Doctor jerked his head up to look at the Face of Boe, his cheeks still glimmered with tears but his eyes had lit up enthusiastically. "Yes, why" He replied curiously _"I think I have a story for you then" _The Face of Boe chuckled _"are you sitting comfortably?"_ He paused as the Doctor nodded eagerly _"Then I shall begin"_

* * *

_It was during World War two, 1941 to be precise when I met the Last Centurion, I knew I was immortal and I was bored. So one night during a blitz I went to go and explore one of the giant warehouses to see if there was anything interesting I them. I was about halfway through the first when I heard movement. Curious as I was, I went to go and investigate. I rounded a corner and standing right in front of me was a roman soldier!_

_After I had convinced him that I was no threat we started to chat, I found out that he was guarding a huge box called the Pandorica, he would not tell me what was in it but he said it was more precious than anything else. After about forty minutes the second wave of bombs hit, and they hit hard. The warehouse caught fire, the Centurion remained calm but I could see the fear in his eyes. Not for himself, but for his box. We managed to find some rope and quickly started hauling it to the doors of the warehouse the Centurion pulling and me pushing. We were nearly there when a huge beam fell across my path blocking my only way out. _

_I could see the Centurion was torn he needed to save his box but he couldn't just leave me. I yelled at him to go and eventually he did promising to return but it was too late. Just as he had got the Pandorica out of the warehouse I was engulfed in flame. _

_As soon as I woke up I climbed out of the rubble. Everything around me was blackened and burnt; the warehouse must have been at least half a mile long. In the distance I could see a red cape flapping in the wind, a man was picking through the rubble, searching. It was the Centurion. He had come back. I didn't want to explain my 'condition' so I slipped away._

_He was brave, braver than me. After that day I went to sign up to the army, I could do good there. It would be useful for them to have a soldier who could never die. I never saw the Centurion again but I never forgot him._

* * *

The Doctor was gazing into the distance as the story ended "That was Rory" He murmured quietly to himself with a faint smile on his lips. He looked at the Face of Boe "Thank you" He said happily.

_"May I ask what was in the Pandorica?" _The Doctor smiled proudly, "That was Amy" He said, when he was given a confused look he explained further "She had died, but not completely. It kept her in a sort of limbo state until I did some very clever timey-wimey things and got her out alive!" He grinned properly this time, then frowned "Hang on, it's 5,000,000,052! I'm about-" He cut his sentence of abruptly by slapping his hand over his mouth. "Spoilers?" he pleaded. _"Oh, that River Song" _the Face of Boe said with a smile

"Wait, you know her?" The Doctor said in surprise _"All three of us are time travellers Doctor, I was bound to bump into her someday." _The Doctor sighed nodding in agreement as the Face of Boe carried on _"Unfortunately she always said she was married but never who to, I always-" _He was cut off by the Doctor "Me! She's married to me. She's **my** wife and Amy and Rory's daughter!" He said in a huff trying not to imagine the trouble River and Jack could have gotten up to, he could hear Jack chuckling and scowled at the floor _"Don't worry, we didn't get up to any mischief" _The Doctor snorted and continued staring at the floor angrily. _"Anyway she would never even let me close" _The Doctor chuckled at that and looked up

"I had best be off, you know me, things to see, places to go!" The Doctor jumped to his feet, and walked to the door. "And Jack" He said as he looked over his shoulder, _"Yes Doctor?"_ The Doctor smiled "Thank You." He turned and saluted before spinning back round and leaving. Jack was probably the closest in the universe to understanding him completely, and sometimes he needed someone that close.


End file.
